Apparatus, products and processes for preventing the occurrence of rust stains resulting from irrigation systems using water containing iron ions

ABSTRACT

Several products and processes for preventing the occurrence of rust stains resulting from irrigation systems using water having iron ions, such as well water, and for cleaning off rust stains resulting from the use of said irrigation systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, ammonium sulfate is mixed with well water and then this mixture is mixed with incoming well water being sprayed on the surfaces. In another embodiment, ammonium bisulfate is used for the removal of rust stains. Then ammonium sulfate is mixed with the incoming well water being sprayed in the next cycle, to prevent rust formation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of our prior co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 11/799,541 filed May 1, 2007 now U.S. Pat. No.7,399,366 entitled “Products and processes for preventing the occurrenceof rust stains resulting from irrigation systems using water containingiron ions and for cleaning off rust stains resulting from using saidirrigation systems”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference as if fully set forth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention relates to treating clean surfaces with well watercontaining an agent to inhibit the formation of rust and to cleaning offrust stains from surfaces that have been treated with water containingiron ions, such as the porous surfaces of plants and concrete which havebeen sprayed with water drawn from a well.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the prior art it was known to clean off rust stains from the poroussurfaces of plants and concrete that have been treated with watercontaining iron ions, such as surfaces which have been sprayed withwater drawn from a well. The most common cleaners contain oxalic acid.This acid containing product is applied after the spraying has ceased.Once applied, this acid had to be treated with water the remove it;after it had cleaned off the rust.

Rust inhibitors containing other substances were then mixed with theincoming well water being sprayed in the next cycle, to prevent furtherrust formulation.

We have found that current products are not effective over the long runin preventing rust stain reoccurrence.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Our invention comprises an apparatus and several products and processesfor preventing the occurrence of rust stains resulting from well waterirrigation systems and for cleaning off rust stains resulting from wellwater irrigation systems.

In one embodiment, we mix ammonium sulfate with well water to form asolution. Then we mix this resulting solution with incoming well waterand then treat the surfaces with this mixture of well water to preventrust formation.

In another embodiment, we mix ammonium bisulfate with water and treatsurfaces containing rust stains with this dilute ammonium bisulfate forremoval of rust stains. Then we mix ammonium sulfate with the incomingwell water being sprayed in the next cycle, to prevent rust formation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of an apparatus in accordance with ourinvention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of another apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the preferred embodiment, mix ammonium sulfate with well water toform a solution. Then add this resulting solution to the well waterbeing sprayed out in an irrigation system to prevent rust formation onthe porous surfaces of plants and concrete being sprayed. This solutioncan be prepared using one teaspoon of ammonium sulfate to one gallon ofwater.

Note that if the water is neutral and has low dissolved solids in it, itwould take very little ammonium sulfate to make the water slightlyacidic and prevent rust formation.

In another embodiment, mix ammonium bisulfate with water to form adilute solution. Then treat surfaces containing rust stains with thisdilute solution of ammonium bisulfate for removal of rust stains. Then,preferably, rinse the surface with clean water that does not come fromthe well.

Thereafter, mix a solution of ammonium sulfate with the incoming wellwater being sprayed in the next cycle (as described above in connectionwith the preferred embodiment), on the surfaces that had been treatedand thus prevent rust formation.

One method of making ammonium bisulfate is to mix 1.5 gal of batteryacid (H2SO4) with 7.5 pounds of ammonium sulfate. The resulting solutioncan then be diluted with an equal amount of water.

This may then be diluted by half again with water.

Apply this resulting solution to stained areas to remove the ruststains.

In alternate embodiments, this solution may be further diluted withwater and then applied to stained areas until the diluted solution is nolonger effective in removing rust stains. By this trial and errormethod, the most cost effective rust removal solution may be determined.

Once the rust has been removed, and before the surfaces are dry, treatthe surfaces again with an ammonium sulfate solution (as described abovein connection with the preferred embodiment) prevent rust formation.

One way to effect this second treatment is to add this second solutionto the last ten percent of the initial spraying cycle in an irrigationsystem spraying well water. This may be accomplished by providing aduplicate parallel timer controlled well pump activation system; set torecycle the irrigation at ten percent of the times used in theirrigation cycle. This duplicate system should include a container forthe solution to be added and a means of withdrawing the solution andintroducing it into well water being sprayed.

Testing in the actual environment should be done to show the frequencyof application needed to prevent rust re-occurrence.

Referring to the FIG. 1, an apparatus is shown in accordance with apreferred embodiment our invention. This apparatus is useful fordistributing well water with rust inhibiting additives in it to multiplesprinkler system zones.

FIG. 1 shows a well designated generally 10 with a pump 12. The pump 12pumps water from the well, up through a conduit 16 to a valve 14, whichcontrols the flow of water from the well. The discharge of the valve 14is connected to a conduit manifold 16. When the valve 14 is open and thepump 12 is running, the conduit manifold 16 supplies water to a seriesof sprinkler heads in the lines 27, 29 and 31 (not shown, butconventionally known) which are segregated into zones. Each zone iscontrolled by a electrically controlled valve 26, 28 and 30. Forexample, each valve is connected by a short conduit 18, 20 and 24 to themanifold 16; which are connected to valves 26, 28 and 30 respectively. Azone timer 32 controls the activation of the pump 12, and also theopening of the valves 26, 28 and 30. The timer sequentially opens thevalve for each zone for a predetermined time. That is, once a zone hasrun, for example, for 20 minutes the valve controlling that zone isclosed and the next valve is opened for the time of 20 minutes (orwhatever time is desired for the next zone).

A storage tank 38 is provided containing a solution of rust inhibitor36, for the introduction of a rust inhibitor into the system. A pump 40is mounted on top of the storage tank 38 and has an input conduit 42positioned to withdraw rust inhibitor solution from the tank at a pointnear the bottom of the tank. The discharge from the pump 40 flowsthrough a conduit 46 which is connected downstream of the valve 14 tothe manifold 16 for introducing small amounts of rust inhibitor into thesprinkler system. The activation of the pump 40 is controlled by aninternal relay in the zone timer 32 and by an external relay 48. By thismeans metered amounts of rust inhibitor may be introduced into thesystem at whatever time the user wishes to select through the timer 32.

To use this apparatus to prevent rust from forming, first clean off therust with a rust removal solution. Next, rinse immediately.

Next, to add rust inhibitor to the input of the sprinkler system, add itto the tank and then fill the rest of the tank with water.

Use a dosing pump 40 to pump a small amount of the contents of the tankinto the input line of the sprinkler system. The amount added may haveto be adjusted depending on the flow rate of the main system well pump12, the flow rate of the dosing pump 40 and the iron content of thewater. If the amount being added is correct, rust should no longerappear. If rust appears over time, increase the concentration of therust inhibitor in the tank, by putting more of it in the tank beforefilling the tank with water.

In using our rust inhibitor, ammonium sulfate, we theorize that aboutone teaspoon per gallon of water at the end of each irrigation cyclewould effectively prevent the re-occurrence of rust. That is about 1,000ppm; which is less than ½ the potable water limit. However, that wouldbe obtained if you were to pour the inhibitor onto the site being struckwith the water.

In the irrigation system we have described we theorize that the additionof ten pounds of ammonium sulfate to a five gallon pail of water wouldprovide an adequate addition to a 55 gallon tank.

We believe that it is only necessary to treat the water in the last fewminutes of a cycle to obtain the desired rust inhibition. Thus in a 20minute watering cycle, it may be necessary to add the inhibitor for onlythe last 4 minutes. This will result in a great savings of rustinhibitor product; since the rust inhibitor product will not be used upcontinuously throughout the cycle.

If it is desired to run the pump 40 at a time interval less than thefull amount of time that each zone is being operated, then the zonetimer, must be set to have its internal time delay mechanism or relaymechanism to stop the flow of water into the system intermittently andthus the introduction of rust inhibitor from the pump 40; by turningthat pump off intermittently.

For example, if the zone timer 32 is set to supply each zone with wellwater for 20 minutes, sequentially, then the internal timer would be setso that the first relay would not turn on the rust inhibitor pump 40 fora period of time, say 16 minutes and then would turn the rust inhibitorpump on for the remaining four minutes of that cycle. To do thiseffectively, the zone timer would delay before turning on the next zonevalve for a period of say, two seconds. During that period of twoseconds there would be no electricity sent to the rust inhibitor pump40. Then, when the next cycle starts for the next zone, that zone wouldrun for 16 minutes before activating the rust inhibitor pump 40 for thelast four minutes.

In all events, be sure to check on the water level in the tank so thatit never runs out. If you allow the water in the tank to run out, thenew water from the well will not be treated and the rust will come back.

In many of these systems, it is necessary to run what is known as a“wet” check. In that event the system is turned on briefly for each zoneto check to see which sprinkler heads are malfunctioning and have to bereplaced. If you were to run a “wet” check, it would be necessary to runthe dosing pump continuously. To do this is desirable to have anotherzone timer, like the timer 37, connected to the system and the dosingpump, so that the dosing pump feeds rust inhibitor continuously for thebrief time interval when the “wet” check is being conducted. Such asystem is shown in FIG. 2. Otherwise, the well water will not be treatedand the rust will come back. In this alternate system, the relay 48 hasbeen deleted.

Form what we have disclosed, we have invented a product for use with anirrigation system to prevent the occurrence of rust stains on poroussurfaces, which stains could result from water which contains iron ionsbeing sprayed on the porous surfaces by said irrigation system, saidproduct comprising a mixture of ammonium sulfate and water.

We have also invented a product for cleaning off rust stains from poroussurfaces, which stains resulted from water irrigation systems,comprising a mixture of ammonium bisulfate and water.

We have invented an apparatus for use with an irrigation system toprevent the occurrence of rust stains on porous surfaces, which stainscould result from water which contains iron ions being sprayed on theporous surfaces by said irrigation system, said apparatus comprising ameans for treating the water coming into the irrigation system with aproduct useful in preventing the formation of rust stains, for a periodof time which is less than the period of time that the irrigation systemis spraying water. This apparatus also can be applied in an irrigationsystem that has a plurality of irrigation zones and the product usefulin preventing the formation of rust stains may be introduced in eachzone for a period of time which is less than the period of time that theirrigation system is spraying water in that zone.

1. An apparatus for use with an irrigation system to prevent theoccurrence of rust stains on porous surfaces, which stains could resultfrom water which contains iron ions being sprayed on the porous surfacesby said irrigation system, said apparatus comprising a means fortreating the water coming into the irrigation system with said tankcontaining a product and product useful in preventing the formation ofrust stains, for a period of time which is less than the period of timethat the irrigation system is spraying water, said product comprising amixture of ammonium bisulfate and water.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1wherein the irrigation system has a plurality of irrigation zones andthe product useful in preventing the formation of rust stains isintroduced in each zone for a period of time which is less than theperiod of time that the irrigation system is spraying water in thatzone.